Between state-building and inciting regional instability, the United States has developed intensely complicated political relationships across the Middle East. But what doesn't make the headlines is how some extremist groups come to power there before they even appear on America’s radar. This week on Trending Globally, Aisha Ahmad, assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto and author of the book Jihad and Co: Black Markets and Islamist Power, explains the intricate economic networks that sustain jihadist militant groups. Jeff Colgan, associate professor of political science at the Watson Institute, joins her to expand on the role energy politics plays. You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://watson.brown.edu/files/watson/imce/news/podcast/trending-globally/transcripts/E46_Aisha%20Ahmad%20Jeff%20Colgan_mixdown%20%281%29.pdf]